Let’z Taco Bout It food truck opening Grand Rapids restaurant

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A food truck is opening a new brick-and-mortar location in Grand Rapids.

Let’z Taco Bout It is set to celebrate its grand opening at 1269 Madison Ave. SE near Hall Street Saturday. The celebration will kick off at 1 p.m. and will run through 7 p.m. Customers who stop in on opening day will be entered in a raffle for prizes, owner Raquel Robelin said.

The menu will be the same as the food truck, though there will be some additions, like enchiladas, tostadas and menudo soup. The American Mexican restaurant’s tacos are what has been referred to as ‘Saginaw tacos’ from Robelin’s hometown, with fried shells.

“They’re very different than most local tacos around here,” she said.

Robelin’s son started the Let’z Taco Bout It food truck about four years ago. You may have seen it around town at festivals like Hudsonville Balloon Days, the Grand Rapids Food Truck Festival and other events, though the its focus is on private events.

The duo originally wanted to start a brick-and-mortar restaurant, but when that didn’t work out, they figured the next best thing would be a good truck.

“We’ve been doing pretty good ever since then,” she said. “Finally the opportunity came to get a brick-and-mortar. Right in my local community as well, so it’s just so convenient. It’s a blessing to us.”

Running the food truck with her son, who now lives out of state, helped prepare her for the opening.

“I’m just very excited. I’m glad I had the experience already. The four years with the truck, that helps out a great deal than to just jump into a brick-and-mortar,” she said. “So I feel comfortable, I feel confident.”

The restaurateur has always loving cooking and entertaining people. When she was young, she would watch her mom cook and roll out tortillas. Later, she passed that skill on to her sons, who would watch her cook when they were growing up. Now, she’s opening the restaurant in honor of one of her older sisters.

“She always wanted a restaurant. She went as far as to purchase restaurant equipment and whatnot,” she said. “Unfortunately, she passed away before she could ever open a restaurant. So I’m dedicating this to her, because she didn’t ever get that chance.”

As she works to open Let’z Taco Bout It, she’s also remembering her father, mother and another older sister.

“I know they all would just be very proud of me,” she said with tears in her eyes.

Robelin is also opening the restaurant in a community she has lived in for 25 years. She said she’s an active member of the community, volunteering with organizations like LINC Up. Her house sits almost directly behind the restaurant and she’s had her eye on the site for a while, watching as several concepts came and went inside the building.

She added she has always wondered if there would be a restaurant that would stay.

“I think we’re going to do that. We’re going to change that up and we’re here to stay,” she said. “Come on out, support us. We’re here for our community, we want to support you. We would like you to support us, be there for each other and just make this a good turnout, a good place.”

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